Most people decide they want a business so one day they make some business cards and say, "Here I am world, hire me." Learn why this is the wrong way to start a business and what it takes to do it right.

Imagine having a newborn dropped off on your doorstep wrapped only in a blanket with a note attached that reads, "Take care of me."

For the sake of argument say you wanted a baby so this is like a windfall. You bring the child in the house and it only takes a couple of moments to realize that you have no diapers and no formula, so out you go (or you send your husband) to buy the necessary items.

When he returns, you change and feed the infant and begin rocking her to sleep, but once she drifts off you are at a loss as to where to put her. You don't have a crib, a playpen or even a stroller.

You and your husband start making a list of the items you are going to require in the coming days to properly care for this little life. The list grows longer and longer. The cost of the items quickly exceeds your budget. You start wondering if you can keep this baby.

While this story may seem crazy, this is how many people start their businesses. They want a business, so one day they make some business cards and say, "Here I am world, hire me."

As with the child, it doesn't take long for them to realize that they need some essentials to do the bare minimum for their business' survival, so they rush out and take care of those things.

Once those pressing needs are handled other things surface. As the list of items they either need to buy or need to do grows, it becomes apparent that the business requires more care and feeding than initially thought. When the cost of everything is calculated it's likely more than they anticipated.

At this point, doubt around whether they should have started the business in the first place and whether they can make it successful if they keep going creep in smothering the initial passion for the idea.

But it doesn't have to play out like this.

Think about when you got pregnant or decided to adopt. If everything went as planned, you had at least nine months to plan, prepare and line-up everything you would need for the nurturing and care of your new baby.

In those nine months, you focused on getting ready. You did everything from create a space, to buy items, to engage family and friends in contributing, to read books to gain parenting knowledge, and to choose the professionals you would rely on to assist you. If you were anything like most parents I know, you spent hours and hours mulling over names and envisioning how it would be when the baby came.

This is the mindset I recommend you adopt when starting a business.

For many momprenuers your business is both a way to make money and a way for you to contribute. Make sure that you take the time to properly gestate your business concept by taking the time to prepare. Depending on the type of business, your family's current situation and the amount of time and resources you have to commit, preparing to give birth to your new business can take from one month to two years.

Remember that premature babies require more attention and often costly care to nurture to health. A business opened prematurely will also require more of your attention to fix and can drain your bank account and resources quickly.



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New Business Mentor Leah Grant publishes Startup Success, a weekly ezine. If you're thinking about starting a new business or are in the early phases of entrepreneurship, visit https://www.leahgrant.com. In her Special Report: 15 Absolutely Important Things You Must Do Before Starting Your Business, at https://www.beforestartingyourbusiness.com, she shares the things you need to do to prepare for your newest child: your business.


© 2009, Leah Grant Enterprises LLC.